What do you think?
Rate this book
Florida's Highwaymen Legendary Landscapes
examples of floridas highwaymen landscapes
- GenresArt
Paperback
First published January 28, 2006
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 7, 2023
The Florida Highwaymen were a group of 26 landscape painters who had painted the landscapes of Florida in the 1950's and the early 1960's. (The name "The Highwaymen" is somewhat of a misnomer because 25 of the painters in the group were men and 1 of the painters in this group was a woman).
In "Florida's Highwayman: Legendary Landscapes," Bob Beatty explores the history of this group of landscape painters who occupy a very unique place in the history of American outsider art of the second half of the 20th century.
During the 1950's and the 1960's, the Highwaymen painters were mostly unknown. This group of landscape painters sold their paintings to people who had owned motels and to people who were decorating the lobbies of medical and dental offices. Most of the paintings that the people in this group of painters had painted sold for under $100 back in the 1950's and the 1960's.
After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, businesses throughout the U.S. were forced to end discriminatory hiring practices. In the mid 1960's, many of the people who had been part of this group of painters were able to get jobs which had previously been unavailable to them. Many of these painters were able to earn a lot more money working at other jobs, and after the mid 1960's, most of them only painted as their hobbies.
Their artwork was rediscovered by modern art critics in the early 2000's.
The photo illustrations of some of the paintings that the artists who had comprised The Highwaymen which are included in this book are absolutely beautiful. Many of the locations which The Highwaymen painters had painted back in the 1950's and in the early 1960's no longer exist; the growth of the population of Florida has resulted in numerous marshes, many miles of lands along creeks, streams and rivers which had been undeveloped as well as many miles of coastlines of harbors, inlets and coastal shorelines to have been developed throughout the course of the 1970's, and continuing into the present day.
The photos of the landscape paintings which are included in this book illustrate a combination of views which disappeared in previous decades as well as some views which do still exist in the present day- as of 2023.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in art history, outsider art, landscape painting as well as to anybody who has enjoyed traveling in Florida or intends to travel to Florida.
In "Florida's Highwayman: Legendary Landscapes," Bob Beatty explores the history of this group of landscape painters who occupy a very unique place in the history of American outsider art of the second half of the 20th century.
During the 1950's and the 1960's, the Highwaymen painters were mostly unknown. This group of landscape painters sold their paintings to people who had owned motels and to people who were decorating the lobbies of medical and dental offices. Most of the paintings that the people in this group of painters had painted sold for under $100 back in the 1950's and the 1960's.
After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, businesses throughout the U.S. were forced to end discriminatory hiring practices. In the mid 1960's, many of the people who had been part of this group of painters were able to get jobs which had previously been unavailable to them. Many of these painters were able to earn a lot more money working at other jobs, and after the mid 1960's, most of them only painted as their hobbies.
Their artwork was rediscovered by modern art critics in the early 2000's.
The photo illustrations of some of the paintings that the artists who had comprised The Highwaymen which are included in this book are absolutely beautiful. Many of the locations which The Highwaymen painters had painted back in the 1950's and in the early 1960's no longer exist; the growth of the population of Florida has resulted in numerous marshes, many miles of lands along creeks, streams and rivers which had been undeveloped as well as many miles of coastlines of harbors, inlets and coastal shorelines to have been developed throughout the course of the 1970's, and continuing into the present day.
The photos of the landscape paintings which are included in this book illustrate a combination of views which disappeared in previous decades as well as some views which do still exist in the present day- as of 2023.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in art history, outsider art, landscape painting as well as to anybody who has enjoyed traveling in Florida or intends to travel to Florida.
Displaying 1 of 1 review